In the halcyon days of the 1930s Sebastian Kilbride, a screen idol, and Nick Kennedy, his accountant and financial adviser are close friends, enjoying an almost idyllic lifestyle. The lives of their wives and families are intertwined. Tessa Kilbride, in contrast to her glamorous husband, is scatterbrained, warm-hearted and a homebody; Sally, Nick's efficient, well-groomed wife, is conversely a woman frustrated by domesticity. But, despite their differences, the two women have formed a strong bond. As have their teenage children, Jethro Kennedy and Zena Kilbride, who just lately have seen their childhood friendship tentatively blossom into something deeper. But the threat of war on the horizon will mean changes for them all...